


Once more with a feeling!

by AkkiTheWolf



Series: Star-drops [12]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief, Heartbreak, Jonathan Archer and OC are friends, Modern!girl in a fandom, alternative universe, this is really sad folks, universe hopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26355220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkkiTheWolf/pseuds/AkkiTheWolf
Summary: Yes, this is the Modern!girl jumps into the fandom. But who said the jump will be only one.
Relationships: (implied) Hikaru Sulu/original female character, (past) Malcolm Reed/original female character, Jonathan Archer&original female character
Series: Star-drops [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1514813





	Once more with a feeling!

**Author's Note:**

> This is very very unfinished. But I didn´t feel the story anymore so I am giving you this.
> 
> Yes, I know Hikaru is canonically gay, but come on guys I love his character and I love John Cho (who wouldn´t right?), so let me have this, it is grossly self-indulgent and I am not ashamed of this.
> 
> Stay safe out there in the wild.  
> Peace with you, Akki.

It was easy to get lost. One wrong turn and suddenly you are in a place you have never been before. It is even easier to get lost in a person. One perfect smile and down the rabbit hole you go. This is how Hikaru felt about their newest passenger, or newest oddity really.

She appeared out of nowhere, sending the scientists into a tizzy. Apparently, she wasn't from this time-period not to mention the universe.

"What do you mean, you did this once already?" The Captain asked. They were in the Danger room, he and Pavel, Scotty, Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock, even Uhura. The young woman in question was pale and looked tired and shaky. Hikaru saw Dr. McCoy surreptitiously scan her bio-signs. She spent the last two days in med-bay, but apparently, she hasn't recovered yet from whatever she went through.

"I appeared on Enterprise, the first one where the captain was Jonathan Archer, sometime during the Xindi crisis. I spent almost three years with the crew and..." She choked on emotions, hanging her head to hide tears.

"At first I just wanted to go home. But when you spend so much time with people and go through the things we did, they become family." She looked around, as if to reassure herself the others thought similarly. Hikaru saw in the corner of his eye Scotty and Pavel nodding their heads. It was all fascinating and heart-breaking at the same time. At the end of the discussion Captain promised to take her back to Earth. It was the least they could do.

...

Later that evening the Captain ordered change of course.

"You think it's a good idea, Jim?" Asked Dr. McCoy from beside the Captain.

"It's the only thing we can do now. I checked her story with Admiral Archer already, it pans out. Let me tell you, he was not happy when I started asking questions about a mysterious woman on Enterprise. Guess there was more than one. He also promised me the old research, apparently it was sealed till now, since she, well, disappeared." Hikaru tuned them out after that. He didn´t know why he went by the guest quarters (he did, but he was still in denial about the fascination he felt towards their newest guest at that point), but since he was already there, he decided to check on their interdimensional traveller. He noticed the guard inconspicuously standing at the end of the corridor.

The door opened; she was blinking sleepily at him. Hikaru swallowed thickly.

"I... I´m sorry. I didn´t mean to wake you up." His body was frozen between the decision to stay or turn and hastily leave. He must have looked ridiculous. 

"´s okay. I already slept too long." She suppressed a yawn behind her fist.

"Come in...?"

"Hikaru. Hikaru Sulu." She smiled sweetly.

"Come in, Hikaru." She waved him in.

"You are Japanese?" She asked and Hikaru blinked in surprise, people still could not recognize one Asian race from the other, even at this age.

"Yes." She sat on the bed which left him the only chair in the room.

"Hmm, were you born in Japan?" He nodded, distracted.

"I always wanted to visit it once." 

They managed to talk for quite a bit before she became tired once again. She said the first time around, it was almost three weeks before she felt right in her own skin.

"Phlox said something about different molecular frequencies, I didn´t understand much. Wonder what happened to him." The mood turned bleak.

"If I remember right, Phlox was the Denobulean doctor. They live quite a bit longer than humans. He may very well be still around." He tried to lift her mood and it looked like it worked, given the slight hope that glowed in her eyes.

"Think...the others...might still be alive too?" She worded hesitantly.

"I know Admiral Archer is quite spry and some of the original bridge crew are still around the Starfleet headquarters.” She looked happy for a second, then her face fell.

"It's been more than thirty years." She whispered to herself. Hikaru didn´t understand the sudden change. It shouldn't matter if what she said was true and the crew was like family to her.

Then he got it.

"Have you... been seeing someone from the crew?" He asked carefully. She looked around, clearly not knowing what to say, when finally, her broken voice carried three words.

"Lieutenant-commander Reed." She had tears in her eyes and Hikaru couldn't even begin to understand the pain and confusion she must have been facing.

... 

They refused her transfer to Earth. The Enterprise had to stay near the Jupiter station and wait for the Admiral to come to them. Captain was seething.

"I understand their reluctance." She said, face blank, void of any emotion, but her fists were tightly clenched on her knees. They were gathered in the Danger room once again, Hikaru sitting close to her as he tried to provide some support. She sat rigid as if she didn´t even notice him. He didn´t begrudge her this, he would be the same nervous wreck if he was her.

The door finally opened with a swish sound and through entered the still imposing figure of Admiral Jonathan Archer.

"Jon?" She whimpered, Admiral’s gaze quickly found her shaking form and with a gasp strode to envelope her into a bone crushing hug. Great, heaving sobs came from the circle of his arms.

"Shh, shh. You are home. It's okay." Hikaru heard the Admiral whisper into a mop of short hair. The man sighed, resting his chin on her head and closed his eyes. Hikaru´s attention was brought to the front of the room. His Captain motioned for them to move out. He noticed other people, probably the old Enterprise crew staying behind. All but one.

"You have our gratitude, Captain Kirk." Said Sub-commander T´Pol. Or no, not the sub-commander anymore, Hikaru corrected himself.

"For what?" Asked Captain tersely. 

"For bringing her safely home." T´Pol answered calmly, not perturbed by the human emotion on display. It made sense; she was a part of a human crew for many years. Captain relented after that. 

"Home? Her home is unreachable for us. We can´t help her." His shoulders tensed at the helplessness he felt.

"That is something we are hoping to change. If not return her to her home, then at least stabilize her presence here. So, she can live her life without fear of disappearing one day." The Vulcan stood, posture straight, hands clasped behind her back and yet Hikaru felt the reassurance and worry she carried in her voice.

...

It wasn´t until the next day that Hikaru had a chance to talk to her. She was in the med-bay, waiting for her final check-up before they transferred her to Earth. As the admiralty reluctantly allowed her stay after Admiral Archer´s quite spectacularly stern (and yet sassy) message to them. 

"Was he there?" He asked her after Doctor McCoy left, grumpily mumbling to himself. She grimaced, eyebrows furrowed, mouth twisted.

"Malcolm... Admiral Reed," she corrected herself, "didn´t come. He sent a message. Said it would be better this way. How?" Her voice broke on the question. Hikaru didn´t know the answer. Maybe the Admiral didn´t want her to see him old and changed or whatever feelings he harboured for her were gone, one was sure. He wanted to spare her the false hope of rebuilding their relationship.

…

She left the shuttle, squinting into the early morning sun. The world around her was once again different from what she remembered.

“Everything alright?” Asked the red-shirt ensign when she stood frozen for too long. She nodded yes and followed him when he began leading them towards a set of low buildings.

She said her goodbyes to Enterprise, at least this time she could. She thanked the Captain and Doctor for their kindness and Commander for his effort in trying to get her home. From an unspoken agreement Hikaru was the one seeing her off to the shuttle. Somehow, they gravitated towards each other, like two stars. She knew this feeling. It terrified her. How could she start carving a life for herself here, form bonds, only for them to be ripped away from her. But she can't not live. The war inside her was tearing her apart. Hikaru stopped before the shuttle, looking awkward. She caught his hand in hers. Just this once, she thought.

“I will miss you.” That was it, that was all she could feel right now. She didn´t give him room to answer, ducking into the shuttle and feeling the distance stretch between what could have been.

... 

She took in a deep breath through her nose. Eyeing the building before her. The science labs were situated here. She didn´t like the idea of being poked and prodded, but this was the only way how she could get back. She had a man to talk to.

It wasn't easy to find him, It took her two months. He wasn't hiding from her, that wasn't how he worked. But she was technically a civilian, if even that. A glorified lab experiment, a spatial oddity, a time hiccup. It took time to get away from the scientists, to sweet-talk Jon into giving away his post and location and then actually getting there without rousing his suspicion. Jon thought this wasn't a good idea, but he didn´t stop her. She thanked her old friend, and the meaning of the word saddened her more and more, squared her shoulders and started her hunt.

She saw him across the lawn. It took a second for her to recognize him, but her heart started drumming a wild staccato at the sight of him and her legs itched to start running towards him. She dreaded and wished for it and when their eyes finally met, the world stood still for her. Some unknown emotion passed across his face and he strode across the lawn, dirtying his boots. He firmly grabbed her elbow, steering her somewhere. They rounded a corner and came upon an alcove, hidden from the prying eyes. There he stood her against the wall, fingers barely touching her elbows, eyes hungrily roving over her, but not in lust. He looked at her like a man seeing for the very first time. Finally, his hands traced up her arms, shoulders, neck, to cup her face reverently, wonder shining in his eyes.

“You shouldn't have come.” He said and kissed her. It felt exactly the same and it didn´t. He changed; it was only logical. But it still brought tears into her eyes. The kiss ended with both of them crying, yet it healed something inside her.

“Had to. Didn´t get my goodbye kiss.” She sniffled, voice cracking. He huffed a laugh. A memory of long time ago and not so long, of sweet kisses between doors, of rushed pecks from under the sheets, of breathtaking, mind-dizzying meetings of lips before the battle, of relieved, trembling caresses between shared breaths after they survived. He brushed a thumb under her eye, leaning up a bit to touch his lips to her forehead. A benediction, a blessing, a promise. A goodbye.

“See you soon, luv.” She smiled, crooked and painful.

“Stay safe.” She answered, the words always the same. He let her go, giving her a last good look. The grief and uncertainty of the last thirty or so years being washed away from him. He already looked lighter, movements smoother, eyes clearer.

She was happy she could give him this. He turned, the corner of his lips lifted into a soft smile and left the hidden alcove. She slumped against the wall, heart-break fresh and aching in her chest.

... 

Jon welcomed her into his home with a soft smile and warm hug. It was two weeks since she saw…Malcolm. She should probably call him by his station but he will always be Malcolm for her. She was sick of moping around, but what to do in a world where you are practically obsolete? A relic? Feeling another bout of sadness creeping in, she was glad when the chime at the front door informed them of a visitor.

“Trip, it's good to see you!” Jon ushered the other man in.

“Well, don´t you look lovely like a storm cloud on a horizon.” She smacked his shoulder before hugging the engineer.

“Ya know, the Enterprise is supposed to be back. Maybe you would like to take a little trip? Pun definitely intended.” He chuckled at her disgusted expression, but his idea wasn't actually so bad. She would love to see a certain helmsman.


End file.
